The healing process
by VictoriousAgain
Summary: "Anna's son, Beckett James Oliver, had always had a fascination with broken objects..." / Anna and Beck attempt to piece together a very damaged heart.
1. Chapter 1

**What's this? Another story? It's a Christmas miracle.**

 **I honestly thought I was done with writing. I've had no inspiration for weeks. The lack of reviews probably contributed to this... just saying... but somehow I couldn't get this idea out of my mind.**

 **I actually wrote up another story from the perspective of Beck's mum a while ago but never got around to completing it. It was a lot more light-hearted than this, so maybe I'll post it sometime in the future. I'm not sure if people will enjoy a story that's not written from Beck or Jade's point of view. If you do like this fic, then please, PLEASE take a minute to leave a review. Means so much to me and actually is very helpful in providing me with direction and inspiration for future stories.**

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* * *

Anna's son, Beckett James Oliver, had always had a fascination with broken objects. When he was three years old, he'd cradle birds with broken wings and beg his mother to "fix them". At age ten, he favourite hobby (besides acting which he seemed to have a knack for) involved finding damaged items and fixing them with his father. So far the pair had salvaged a bookshelf, a dishwasher and a motorbike. Even at twelve years of age, if he sensed even a stranger in the slightest bit of distress, he would go out of his way to find a solution to help them.

Anna consequently supposed she shouldn't have been so surprised when Beck one day brought home from school a very broken girl, introducing her as his girlfriend.

Anna could remember that day as if it had only taken place yesterday. It had been a bright, Californian afternoon, but Anna's whole world shifted the second a cloud of darkness scuffled into her kitchen. Out of all the girls Anna had envisaged her to son to one day bring home, she had never pictured a girl decked head to toe in black, with a silver piercing glittering in her nose and brow, and a scowl that seemed to be permanently engrained on her face as she glared up at Anna from behind Beck's shoulder.

"This is Jade." Beck beamed, pulling the very pale girl by the hand so she stumbled closer to his side. The girl, named Jade apparently, scowled at Beck viciously. Beck only grinned cheekily in response, apparently undaunted by her scathing look.

"Lovely to meet you," Anna said politely, holding out a hand to shake. She was a firm believer in not judging people based on appearance. Beck had such a gentle soul, she doubted he could ever fall for a girl with a less than kind heart, but Jade certainly was challenging this notion.

Jade stared sceptically at the outreached palm, very reluctantly offering her own for a very brief handshake before dropping Anna's hand as if it had burned her. Anna tried not to look stunned, but her shock must have still been apparent for Beck patiently voiced, "Jade doesn't like touching people."

Anna smiled cordially, ignoring the fact that Jade seemed quite comfortable with Beck's arm around her shoulders. In fact, she seemed to even be leaning into his touch.

"You're not alone in that, Jade." Anna smiled, hoping to spark a genuine reaction from the mysterious girl. Jade did not shift. Beck eventually sighed, sensing that this meeting had come to an end.

"Anyway, I'll see you tomorrow mum."

"You're not coming in for dinner?"

Beck glanced shortly at Jade who had immediately stiffened. Her remarkably blue eyes seemed to widen in a silent plea, and quickly Beck replied, "Not tonight mum. Jade and I are just going to order in."

With those words, Beck had taken Jade's hand and led her out the back door which connected from the kitchen to their driveway where his RV was parked.

If Anna had been anyone else, this brief interaction might have left a sour taste in her mouth. However, Anna found herself more curious than anything. It was clear Jade was not a bright, cheerful girl, but Anna sensed there was a valid reason behind this. She hoped Beck might be able to help the poor girl if something was wrong, even if she doubted this was a long-term relationship. After all, Beck was only fifteen, hardly old enough to fall in love.

* * *

It was shortly after this interaction that Beck stopped coming inside the house for meals almost indefinitely. Beck's father had not been pleased, but Anna had a sneaking suspicion that Jade had moved in with her son and was the reason for his lack of appearance. She knew she should not be unbothered by the thought of her 15-year-old living with a girl, but there was something about Jade that made Anna want to throw her arms protectively over the girl and shield her from the world. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but she sensed that Jade was quite reliant on her son, so she did not complain and settled for watching her child from afar.

Anna still found herself regularly contemplating Jade nonetheless. At times she could hear the girl's raised voice yelling at Beck from within his RV. Anna wondered if she should intervene, but every time she spotted the couple heading off to the bus stop for school the following morning, they were always hand in hand and Beck would glance over at Jade like she was his entire world. She hoped sincerely that Jade might reciprocate these feelings, but it was very hard to tell. Jade did not appear to be quite vocal about _those_ sort of emotions.

It was one early morning (only 2am) when Anna once more found herself unable to sleep as she tossed and turned thinking about the strange child. She eventually decided to fetch a mug of camomile tea in the hopes that it would relax her. The last thing she ever expected to find in her kitchen was none other than the pale skinned girl herself, pouring a cup of flour into a mixing bowl.

"Oh." Anna breathed in surprise, startling Jade who looked up then let out her own small shriek of surprise.

"Jade?" Anna blinked, tilting her head curiously to the side.

Jade was momentarily frozen in shock, then she glanced down at the now empty cup in her hand and blanched.

"I'm sorry." Jade stammered.

The poor girl looked terrified. Her eyes had widened and were frantically skimming the kitchen, undoubtedly looking for an escape route.

"I'll replace all the ingredients I used. I'm so sorry. It's so stupid. When I can't sleep I like to bake. I shouldn't have come in without permission."

Jade was continuing to ramble which funnily enough seemed to give Anna enough clarity to compose herself.

"Sweetheart, it's okay." Anna attempted to soothe, hating the distress apparent on Jade's face.

To Anna's alarm, her reassurance fell on deaf ears and in horror she noted the slight tremble of the pale girl's frame. She instinctively took a step forward, determined to reassure the nervous girl that nothing was amiss, but halted immediately as Jade flinched at the first sight of movement.

"Jade," Anna called soothingly, "I'm not upset." More firmly she added, "I will not hurt you."

Jade flushed in embarrassment, and Anna felt her heart snap. Many thoughts soared through the older woman's mind, but before she could even voice one of them, the back door slammed open and a very dishevelled looking boy rushed into the room.

"Jade, why'd you sneak off? You gave me a heart attack."

Jade breathed a sigh of relief as Beck strode to her side. Immediately Jade buried herself into Beck's chest and clung to him. If Beck was alarmed by this reaction, he showed no sign of it and glanced at his mum.

"Didn't mean to wake you, mum. " he apologised, even though he wasn't the one who had caused her to stir. "Jade's an amazing cook." He added as the alarm on the oven dinged. Jade was still showing no other signs of movement but looked notably more relaxed in Beck's tight hold.

Anna looked at the couple bewildered. She took a long breath, then slowly and softly reiterated, "I was just trying to tell Jade that it's more then fine if she ever wants to use this kitchen."

Jade finally looked up from Beck's shoulder. She still looked slightly uncertain, but as Beck gave her a tight squeeze of reassurance, she was finally able to look at Anna directly.

"Sorry I didn't ask before." She muttered. "I really wasn't thinking."

Beck laughed happily as he looked at the oven. "Don't ever apologise for making chocolate cake." Beck smiled jovially, moving to the oven to carefully remove the pan. Even Anna looked pleased as the mouth-watering scent wafted through the kitchen. "But stop sneaking out without writing a note on the whiteboard or something."

"So controlling," Jade mumbled, rolling her eyes as way of apology. Anna allowed a brief smile as Jade finally seemed able to move by herself and went to sit on one of the kitchen stools, Beck soon joining her.

"That looks amazing, dear," Anna told Jade as Beck pulled out three forks.

Jade still seemed sceptical as Anna herself bustled to the cabinet and pulled out three plates, but twenty minutes later when the three of them sat at the kitchen counter eating cake, Jade seemed relaxed as she rested her legs against Beck's.

"Goodness, it's 4am. You two have school in a few hours." Anna abruptly announced as Beck let out a loud yawn. "Go to bed and try and get a little more sleep." She instructed kindly, gesturing for the two to leave their plates behind for her to clean.

After thanking her, the couple left hand in hand out the back door, and Anna was left feeling more bewildered than ever before.

Though she had told the pair to go to sleep, she was wide awake. She noted the half-prepared batter Jade was in the process of making when she first found her, smiling sweetly as she picked up the whisk and finished mixing the ingredients before putting it in the oven. As she waited for the second cake to cook, she couldn't help but replay Jade's reaction to her appearance in her mind. It slightly terrified the older woman, and it certainly wasn't a sight she'd be able to forget about.

* * *

Anna didn't expect to see either Beck or Jade anytime soon after that night, but three days later she found Beck seated at the counter rather miserably sipping from a can of lemonade and picking at Jade's orange and poppy seed cake.

"Hi, darling." Anna greeted.

Beck nodded back.

"How's Jade?" She asked lightly, her scrutinising gaze revealing her true intentions to seek information about the secretive girl.

Beck merely shrugged, looking up at his mother sadly.

"Okay. She had to go home tonight."

Anna was curious and slightly nervous by Beck's reaction to this statement. At times she wondered if Beck was too attached to his girlfriend. He almost spent every day and night with her, definitely unhealthy for a fifteen-year-old boy. But there was something about Beck's gaze that made Anna's heart plummet. She didn't know any adult, married couples that looked at each other with the same intensity that Beck and Jade shared with each other.

"You know, I didn't mean to startle her that night."

"I know." Beck grimaced. "She was pretty shaken up."

"She looked scared. I think she assumed I was going to punish her."

Anna watched closely for Beck's reaction, but he only frowned some more.

"I gotta call her. Later, mum." He farewelled as he slumped to his RV.

Anna waved goodbye with her own frown forming. She hoped everything was okay. Somehow, she doubted it was.

* * *

It wasn't too long before Anna found Jade back in her kitchen cooking up a baked feast.

"Couldn't sleep again, Jade?" Anna called mildly as she walked into the room, going straight for her favourite mug to prepare herself a cup of tea.

Jade immediately froze, her back still facing Anna. Taking a deep breath, Jade spun on her heel.

"Yeah. I had a fight with Beck."

"I see," Anna replied amiably, draining her tea bag.

"He was texting a girl from our improv class." Jade continued, her face stiff, which almost made Anna laugh. Anna quickly took a sip of tea to prevent herself. She did not want to offend the testy girl.

"Was he?" Anna smirked, still fighting to conceal her amusement.

"He called me crazy when I told him I considered that as cheating."

Anna didn't stop her grin this time. She merely hummed, moving forward to dip a finger into the batter mix Jade was preparing.

"This is wonderful." She told Jade who was still huffing.

Jade blinked then looked rather uncomfortable. "Err, thanks," Jade mumbled stiffly.

Anna was pleased Jade wasn't shaking in fear this encounter, but still felt slightly defeated by Jade's reactions. She wanted to break down the walls of this complicated girl, but it was apparent she had a lot more work to do.

"Who taught you how to bake? Your mother?"

Anna instantly knew she'd said something wrong when Jade's whole demeanour shifted rapidly fast into a dark, angry aura.

"My mother hasn't taught me anything." Jade snarled.

The harshness of Jade's voice made Anna freeze. For a while, she didn't know what to say. Then she decided to push her luck.

"That first night, when I found you in here, you looked awfully frightened. Do you generally get in trouble at home?" Anna enquired with forced casualness.

"Once my mum caught me cooking some eggs. She locked me in my room for two days without food so I'd learn not to steal her things." Jade replied stonily.

The mug held in Anna's hands suddenly dropped to the floor and shattered. Jade looked up, horrified at her loose admission.

"That was a lie. I don't know why I just said that. I made it up." Jade rambled.

Anna shook her head. Though Jade was frantically trying to backtrack her words, Anna didn't believe her for a second. Jade's thick wall had crumbled and with a momentary lapse of judgement had revealed what Anna believed to be undeniably a very scary truth.

"Jade-"

"I gotta go." Jade yelped, and before Anna could stop her, she'd disappeared out the door.

The batter that had looked and smelt so appetising now made Anna's stomach churn nauseatingly. She wanted to throw up. She contemplated going into her son's RV and demanding that Jade speak with her, but she was wise enough to know that Beck was fiercely protective of Jade and would not take kindly to his mum attempting to pry information from his unwilling girlfriend.

Instead, each and every night for the following month, Anna would trickle downstairs in the early morning, hoping to find Jade in her kitchen again so they could talk. Her efforts were to no avail, for Jade never made an appearance.

In fact, it was three months later when Anna finally stumbled upon Jade again.

It was more on accident. Anna and her husband had gone out for dinner and drinks. It was much needed time spent with her husband, and by the time they arrived home, it was close to Midnight. The second they had opened the front door they spotted the light coming from the kitchen. Then they heard the faint singing of a rather strong yet angelic voice. Anna laughed in surprise, recognising the lyrics to Cat Steven's "oh very young". Jade was such an old soul.

Anna gestured for her husband to head upstairs and go to bed while she slipped into the kitchen.

It was the first time Anna had caught Jade in such a good mood before, and it was so unexpected that Anna's plan to force Jade into talking had slipped her mind.

"What's got you so upbeat, my dear?" Anna instead enquired as Jade flittered about the kitchen seeking ingredients.

Jade stopped singing but scowled playfully at Anna.

"Nothing," Jade replied, her tone still unusually light. After a while of silence, Jade added, "It's my birthday."

Anna looked very surprised then smiled happily, "Happy Birthday."

Jade grinned, then seemingly unable to contain herself, blurted, "You know Beck bought me a pair of scissor-shaped earrings. They're really cool. And probably really expensive."

Anna laughed happy at the young woman's apparent delight. "Beck does love to spoil his ladies. You know, he bought me this necklace for my birthday last year." She replied, gesturing to the rose gold chain around her neck.

Jade smirked. "Yeah. He's pretty awesome like that."

Anna nodded in agreement, then as Jade went to pull out some eggs, quickly stood up.

"Jade, it's your birthday. I want to bake something for you tonight. How about I warm you up a nice mug of cocoa and whip up some of my famous chocolate, raspberry muffins?"

Jade looked surprised, then shrugged her shoulders.

"Okay." She agreed.

Jade appeared to be in a more talkative mood than ever before. It seemed that Beck had planned a rather exciting day for her, complete with a trip to the scissors museum (Anna didn't even know this was a place) and dinner in a trendy restaurant where a live band would be playing that night. Anna smiled warmly, encouraged by Jade's excited tone. She duly wondered that if she'd ever had a daughter (like she had once secretly hoped for) if they would be having a similar conversation with this one. It was a nice thought, to pretend like Jade was just a normal, happy teenage girl, excited for a date with her boyfriend.

As Jade continued with her story, Anna proudly pulled out her cupcakes from the oven, even going to place a candle on the one she presented to Jade.

Jade simpered responsively, indulging Anna with a roll of her eyes as she blew it out.

"You know, no one's ever made me a cake before," Jade revealed, taking a bite of the baked good and nodding contently.

Anna looked momentarily taken aback, then smiled fondly at Jade. She stretched out one hand and rested it on top of Jade's. To her surprise, Jade didn't push her off. Instead, the blue-eyed girl's lips curved upwards.

"Hey Anna, could you do me a favour? It's Beck's birthday next month, and I want to get him a nice present this year." Jade pronounced after a few moments of comfortable silence had passed by.

Anna had heard Beck laughing once about receiving a can of lemonade from Jade but assumed it was a joke (or worse, some sort of innuendo), but pondered silently if Jade really didn't know what to buy her son. She clearly cared dearly for him and wanted to do nice things for Beck, but maybe the slightly neglected girl just didn't know how to show this.

"Could you maybe go shopping with me sometime? It'd be good to have your input." Jade continued.

"I would love to." Anna beamed. She was just about the suggest a good date for their outing when the back door suddenly slammed open and a grouchy Beck stumbled in, grumbling as he looked at his girlfriend longingly.

"Jade, why do you keep leaving me." He whined.

"So needy." Jade rebuked as he slumped over and tiredly rested his had in the crook of her neck.

"I wanted to wake up before you and make you breakfast." Beck continued to grumble.

"Your mum's cooking for me instead." Jade smiled, running a hand through Beck's hair.

Beck finally glanced up from Jade's neck, apparently only just notching his mother's presence. "Oh, hey Mum."

"Hey, darling." Anna grinned sarcastically. "Jade and I are making shopping plans."

Beck blinked, looking slowly between his mum and girlfriend.

"Shopping plans? The two of you? Alone?"

"This is what I get for dating a younger man." Jade sighed at Beck's slowness. Anna laughed.

"Younger by 24 days." Beck scoffed, finally getting ahold of himself.

"Yeah, yeah." Jade grinned, soothingly rubbing small circles on Beck's lower stomach. Beck smiled wistfully at his girlfriend, and feeling rather intrusive, Anna quickly turned away and busied herself with the dishes.

"You won't go with me to the school dance, but you'll go shopping with my mum?" Anna heard Beck murmur.

"Will you stop sulking if I agree to go with you?" Jade teased in response.

Anna had to hide her smirk. This was probably the first time she'd seen Jade so playful with her son. It was a nice change to her usual yelling.

She glanced over just in time to see Beck's growing smile as he pecked Jade's lips then picked up her half eaten cupcake and stuffed it into his mouth.

"JERK," Jade yelled, and just like that, Jade was back to normal.

* * *

Two weeks later Anna was knocking on Beck's RV door.

It didn't take long for the door to swing open and Jade to step out. Over Jade's shoulder, Anna could just spot her son sleeping soundly in his bed though it was nearly 11am. She also thought she'd spotted a black bra lying on the ground that had clearly been tossed aside, but refused to dwell on it.

Instead, Anna beckoned for Jade to follow her to her car, and after stopping at Starbucks for coffee, drove them to the local mall.

It was surprisingly easy to make conversation with Jade once the girl appeared comfortable in Anna's presence. Anna would ask Jade questions about school, her hobbies, her ambitions for the future, and Jade would give detailed responses. It was almost as if no one else had ever asked Jade these seemingly mundane questions before, and though Jade would sometimes pretend to be bothered by them, she clearly wanted to share. Wisely, Anna purposely steered clear of any questions about Jade's home life. She didn't want to jinx the wonderful outing the pair had so far shared.

They had been shopping for over an hour when they finally found a gift for Beck. Jade had been somewhat timid in the stores, clutching a cat-shaped wallet to her chest nervously for most of the trip. She had frowned over lots of price tags but scoffed when Anna suggested visiting slightly cheaper shops.

Finally Jade pointed at a collection of records from David Bowie, the Beatles, Pink Floyd and more.

"Do you think he'd like that?" She asked apprehensively.

Anna bit back a laugh, "Yes, dear, I think he will."

Jade looked very happy as she handed over a stack of crumpled notes from her small wallet and paid for the items. Anna noticed that her purse only had a few one dollar bills left inside, and silently she mused over Jade's generosity.

The pair were just making their way to the carpark when Anna suddenly halted, spotting a gorgeous dress in a store window.

"Jade, look at that dress," Anna instructed.

Jade turned and smiled. The gown was a regal green draped maxi dress, with shoestring straps and a high cut split.

"That colour would match your eyes." Anna beamed, pulling Jade into the store before she could object. "You should wear it for the dance you and Beck are going to."

"I don't have that sort of cash on me." Jade protested. "It's fine. I was just going to borrow a dress off Cat anyway. She has all these brand new clothes that she refuses to wear since they're not pink." Jade attempted to explain, but Anna shook her head.

"Nonsense." Anna dismissed. "You're trying it on. I'll get it for you. Consider it a late birthday gift."

"No." Jade immediately refused. "No way."

"Jade please allow me to do this. I've never had a daughter. Let me spoil you a little. It would bring me great joy."

Jade looked shocked but finally nodded, taking the dress and walking to the change room while Anna waited patiently outside the curtain.

"Can you help me with the zipper?" Jade called after a few minutes.

Obligingly, Anna slipped into the room to assist Jade. The zipper was slightly jammed on the material. Anna had to pull it down to loosen it before pulling it back up again, but as more of Jade's back was revealed to her, she spotted the beginning of a purple and green bruise contrasting Jade's white skin.

She hastily pulled more of the fabric back, determined to examine the flesh. She gasped audibly when she caught sight of more swollen bruises on Jade's back, freezing as she looked at them in alarm.

Jade seemed to have finally realised what was going on and she spun around frantically.

It was too late though. Anna had already spotted the other marks littering her skin and looked horrified.

"Jade-"

"It's nothing." Jade cut in before Anna could speak further.

"That is not nothing. Who does this to you?" Anna objected, recoiling in terror.

Jade bit her lip and stood her ground defiantly, refusing to answer the question.

Anna took a deep breath.

"Does Beck do this?" She asked seriously.

"NO." Jade yelled incredulously, he silent resolve shattering in an instant as her eyes narrowed in fury at the very suggestion. "You're his mother. You know he's not capable of even killing a stupid cricket." In other circumstances, Anna might have smiled in quiet relief. Instead, she settled for gently rubbing Jade's shoulder.

"Can you tell me who then did this to you?" She prodded gently, refusing to relent.

"No one. I'm a clutz. Always falling over and walking into stuff."

"Jade." Anna maintained. "She suspected the answer already, but needed to hear it from Jade."

"Please don't ask," Jade begged, turning back around.

Anna was stumped, utterly uncertain on how to proceed. She didn't want Jade to push her away, they had been making so much progress, but this child's safety was still her number one concern.

"Jade, if your home isn't a safe place for you, I want you to know that you will always have a room in my house." Anna slowly asserts.

Jade nodded numbly. "Look I'm fine. I promise. Beck looks after me."

Anna knew this was true. She also knew that Jade was currently living essentially permanently in Beck's RV. Even if something had happened to Jade at the girl's home, at least she was removed from that environment. So Anna shut her mouth, determined to not completely spoil the lovely day she'd so far had with Jade. Silently, she took the dress and paid for it, then together the two walked to the car and drove home.

* * *

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 **Review for part 2 ;)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Absolutely blown away and touched by the reviews. Did not expect such a reaction. Truthfully, I thought this fic would be my least popular story. I only planned to write up 2 chapters, but now I'm inspired and I'm actually looking at extending it. Thank you all very much. I hope you continue to leave your feedback and comments.**

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* * *

Another month passed before Anna spotted Jade in the kitchen again (this time close to 5am). The sight was becoming increasingly familiar, but what Anna did not anticipate was for Beck to also be seated at the counter. He was closely watching his girlfriend with a worried gaze, and they appeared to be in a slightly heated discussion so that neither of them noticed Anna enter.

Quickly, she took a step out of the room, hiding behind the doorframe and watching the pair through a crack in the door.

"Babe, you don't want her there anyway." Beck sighed, running his hands through his hair in frustration.

"Not the point." Jade barked, stomping around the kitchen in a fury. "She promised she'd come. I bought her a ticket. That was $30 I could have spent on something else."

Jade was clanging pots and pans around in a rage induced stupor. Beck was still sighing.

"I know. Please, baby, don't let this upset you." Beck begged his angry girlfriend.

Jade looked as though she might yell, but instead became eerily quiet.

"It's the first lead I've had in a school play since stupid Tori Vega came to our school. I've been working my ass off. It's going to be amazing."

"I know. And I am so proud of you." Beck said earnestly, wincing as Jade slammed the fridge door shut particularly viciously.

"Not one person who's supposed to care about me will be there to see it."

Beck looked so hurt that Anna even jolted the same way Jade did when she noticed Beck's troubled stance.

"Besides you." Jade clarified, much more gently as she evidently calmed down. Beck still looked sulky as Jade walked over to place her arms around his neck.

"I love you." Beck simply replied, moving so his nose was resting against Jade's.

Anna strained her ears, desperate to catch Jade's response. Sure enough, very quietly and somewhat meekly, Jade whispered, "I love you too."

Anna beamed, then finally decided to announce her presence. She somewhat loudly fumbled with the door handle as she stepped into the room, purposely alerting the couple to her emerging presence. Jade instantly took a step away from Beck but didn't look upset when Anna entered the kitchen.

"Morning you two."

"Hey." Beck greeted. Jade simply grunted in welcome.

"Everything okay?" Anna enquired casually. Beck was just about to say yes when Jade abruptly cut in,

"Anna, are you free on Friday night?"

Anna, was in fact, not free. She had made plans to meet up with an old school friend but didn't have to even consider her response to Jade.

"I am." She responded promptly.

"Would you be interested in watching a play I'm in?"

Beck's mouth dropped open, and even Jade blushed at her words.

"Never mind. It's stupid. I'm sure you are busy-"

"I would love to. I'll be there." Anna assured, beaming wildly. She was worried that Jade might avoid her after their last outing, but it was clear Jade was still fond of the older women. Anna was determined to keep it this way.

"Cool. Beck can give you all the details."

Anna was certainly left with no regrets about postponing her outing with her friend. As she sat in the audience and watched Jade shine, she thought her heart might burst with motherly pride. She had never witnessed such a phenomenal level of talent from a young actress and found that the standing ovation she gave alongside the crowd was not a forced obligation, but rather a genuine reaction to the incredible performance she had been fortunate enough to behold.

Once the show was done, she hurried to the foyer to meet with Beck and Jade. She spotted them fairly quickly, hiding in the corner to avoid the crowd.

Beck had his arms wrapped firmly around Jade's waist as he stood behind her, bending down to whisper sweet words of congratulations into his girlfriend's ear. Jade's smile was so bright and radiant that Anna almost wanted to cry as she approached.

"You were wonderful, my dear."

"Thanks." Jade grinned, leaning back happily further into Beck's embrace.

"We should go out and celebrate." Anna supplied.

"I'm taking Jade out for ice-cream." Beck began, shooting his mother a strange look.

"Your mum can come." Jade cut in.

Beck didn't look thrilled about sharing his girlfriend with her mother, but Jade seemed surprisingly eager. Absentmindedly, Anna wondered if Jade's parents had ever taken her out to celebrate one of her performances. She'd certainly never seen them at any past show put on at the school.

Regardless, Jade was in extremely high spirits that night, and together the trio shared a lovely evening of laughter and celebration. It continued to astound Anna how much she genuinely cared for the strange girl Beck had come to love. The once cold glint in the young girl's eyes was now hardly distinguishable, instead replaced with a warm sparkle as Anna continued to praise Jade for her performance. When Jade even leaned away from Beck to show Anna some photos from the rehearsals on her phone, launching into a story about how some creepy kid named Sinjin had got his face stuck in some glue when they were creating props, Anna found herself throwing her head back in laughter while Beck shook his head in bafflement, completely bewildered by the pair.

It seemed impossible, but Anna honestly felt complete as she drove them home later that night. She probably needed Jade in her life just as much as her son did. She wasn't sure if this thought delighted or terrified her, but one thing was for certain, Anna wasn't about to let Jade out of her life anytime soon.

* * *

Anna's husband had looked less than pleased when Anna one day insisted that Jade be part of their Thanksgiving celebrations this year.

Jade and Beck were spending more time in the family house and less time hidden away in the RV. For the most part, everyone seemed pleased, except perhaps her husband John who still could not understand why his wife and son were attached to such a bitter and snarky girl.

Still, Anna viewed Jade as part of the family now, and she wanted Jade to feel included and loved.

"But honey, my whole family is visiting from Canada." John had protested.

"More reason for them to meet Jade."

Anna, of course, had been victorious in her request. She proudly told Beck who seemed equally pleased by this arrangement. He promised that Jade would be there, but his smile had faltered when Anna explained that his relatives would also be visiting.

"You sure that's a good idea? You know how Jade gets with strangers."

"Jade will be fine." Anna dismissed, and so Beck once more assured her that they both would attend the dinner.

When the night finally came, Beck and Jade entered the main house close to 7pm. Beck's extended family were already seated at the dining table, and everyone's gaze immediately fell to the girl dressed in nothing but black.

Jade looked slightly mortified at the vast number of people seated. She turned to glare at Beck furiously though he was purposely pretending to look innocently at the turkey on the table.

"This is my girlfriend, Jade." Beck chirped as Jade moved to dig her nails into his hand.

"Hi." Jade sighed. She was still glaring at Beck.

"Why don't you sit down." Anna beckoned as Jade reluctantly took her seat next to Beck.

Anna could tell instantly how uncomfortable Jade was, and for the first time, a momentary wave of worry washed over her. She had been so set on ensuring Jade was included as part of her family, but it was clear the young girl was very out of her depth. In all honesty, Anna wondered if Jade had ever had a sit-down meal before with her own family, and perhaps forcing her to meet Beck's aunts and uncles (who weren't known for being particularly discreet about their feelings) wasn't the wisest of ideas. Sure enough, Jade's face was set in a deep scowl and what Anna now recognised to be nerves was reflected in her wide, blue eyes as she glanced around at everyone. Not even Beck was successfully managing to calm her down; this really did seem to be all too much for Jade to handle.

"We should go around the table and say what we're thankful for." One of Beck's aunts spoke up.

Anna glanced towards Jade and noted the grimace of disgust that crossed her face.

"Or we could save that for a bit later." Beck voiced quickly, his hand disappearing under the table to presumably squeeze Jade's thigh.

The family murmured in agreement, and before long, everyone was talking and eating. Jade was predominantly ignored. She seemed to prefer this and made no effort to join in any conversation. A few times Anna caught Beck leaning over to whisper something in Jade's ear, but mostly Jade remained silent and unnoticed.

It came as a great shock then when all eyes suddenly fell on the sullen girl when Beck's aunt, Judy, abruptly called across the table,

"Why aren't you with your family tonight, Jade?"

Jade blinked, surprised at being addressed, then scowled at all the curious faces now looking at her.

"I was raised by a pack of wolves." She bit sarcastically. Beck looked slightly pained rather than amused by her comment, probably sensing the inevitable argument to come.

"No need for such cheek." Judy scoffed, looking quite appalled by Jade's behaviour.

"Jade's just kidding. Aren't you, babe?" Beck said seriously, shooting Jade a reproachable look.

Jade only shrugged, glaring down at her plate of hardly touched food.

"Why won't she answer the question? Surely the girl's parents expect her home. Thanksgiving is meant to be a time spent with family." Beck's uncle now voiced. His wife nodded along, and Anna felt her heart rate pick up.

Other members of her John's relatives were beginning to make slight murmuring sounds of agreement, and Judy in particular made a point of looking derisively at Jade, making it clear she did not think it was appropriate for Jade to be at their own family gathering.

"Jade is family," Anna spoke up swiftly, hoping to calmly end the discussion.

"She's just a silly little girl Beck's dating. That hardly counts for family. I doubt she'll even be around in a week's time." Judy scoffed.

This seemed to be the breaking point for Jade who leapt to her feet in anger. "At least I'm not a bitter old bitch." Jade snapped. "And if we're going around saying things we're thankful for, then all I can say is I'm beyond thankful I'm not related to you." Jade spat, then turned on her heel and slammed the door behind her.

Beck looked torn, unsure of what damage control to conduct first. He glanced at his mum helplessly.

Anna took a long, deep breath, then turned to stare at her sister in law.

"Judy, next time you come to my house and see I have a guest, I expect you to show more decorum. Jade is more than welcome in this house, and you will not make her uncomfortable. Understood?" Anna admonished stiffly.

"You're taking that girls' side? Did you not just hear what she said?"

"Jade's got a temper." Beck admitted, "but you shouldn't insult my girlfriend like that." He rebuked. Sighing, he followed Jade outside.

Anna waited until all her guests had left before going to check on Jade and Beck (it had been a rather stiff night, so it came as no surprise when everyone made an early departure). She bid everyone a quick farewell then rushed to Beck's RV, swiftly knocking on the metal door.

"Come in," Beck called, knowing it was his mother.

As Anna entered, she spotted the couple resting together on Beck's small couch. The pair had evidently been snuggling under a blanket watching full house on Beck's small TV. She smiled at the sight, but her smile quickly dropped when she noticed Jade's red eyes.

"Beck, may I have a moment alone with Jade?" Anna asked softly. Jade winced but didn't protest.

Beck nodded, and before leaving the RV placed a tender kiss on the crown of Jade's head. Jade didn't react as Anna moved to sit next to her.

"I'm not good with family things." Jade hastily rambled once the door was closed. "I warned Beck."

"Neither am I," Anna assured.

Jade looked like she wanted to spurt out more excuses, then finally slumped in defeat.

"Look, I'm sorry for what I said. I bet you hate me now."

Though Jade spoke coldly, Anna could detect the vulnerability in Jade's tone. Before she could sensibly think through her actions, she instinctively moved to wrap her arms around Jade's lean shoulders. She almost moved back when Jade immediately stiffened as the open arms approached her, but the second she was in Anna's arms, she broke down into a fit of silent tears.

"No, darling, I do not hate you in the slightest. You are very dear to me. I already view you as a daughter. You're more family than most of those other people in that house."

Jade was stunned into silence, then before even Anna could register what was going to happen, Jade's arms wrapped around the older woman's waist in a tight hug.

The two women remained hugging each other for the next couple of minutes, only separating at the sound of the door opening as Beck remerged.

"Hey mum, Jade's tired." He said, effectively evicting Anna from his RV.

Anna didn't put up a fight but gave Jade one last squeeze before exiting the RV and walking back into her home.

Anna knew she had to be more careful with Jade from that point on. She vowed to herself to never put Jade in a position of discomfort again. She would do whatever it took to make sure that girl felt safe, no matter the cost.

* * *

Half a year went by, and Anna saw less and less of Jade. Screams were becoming louder from the RV, and Beck was looking uncharacteristically angry and frustrated by the slightest inconvenience.

Sometimes Anna hoped to catch Jade baking at 3am, wanting to check in with her and make sure everything was okay, but either Anna was missing Jade's early morning visits to the kitchen or Jade had simply stopped coming in.

Anna woke up eagerly very late one night, hearing just the faintest sound of the microwave whirling from downstairs. She pattered down the steps and made her way to the kitchen. She was expecting to find Jade, but to her surprise, she only came access Beck who was brooding mournfully over a mug of coffee at the kitchen counter.

"Beck?" Anna said in wonderment. She hadn't ever seen her son look so dismal and exhausted. There were dark bags under his eyes and his usually perfect hair was tangled and untamed.

"Jade and I broke up." He said stiffly.

"Oh." Anna said in surprise.

She wasn't sure how to react. She knew she was treading dangerous water now and didn't want to make Beck snap.

"How are you holding up?" She asked as soothingly as possible.

Beck looked at her with empty eyes. It almost made Anna want to cry.

"I miss her, mum." He simply replied.

Anna moved to hug her son, allowing him to crumble into her embrace. "I know, darling." She eased, running her hands through his hair.

"And I'm scared for her." Beck continued, his voice slightly muffled, "What if she's gone back to living with…" Beck trailed off, looking torn as he moved away from his mother to stare down at the counter.

"Is she in danger?" Anna asked gravely, forcing Beck to look back at her again.

"If she's back with her mum, then yeah, she is." Beck looked as if he might burst into tears, and protectively Anna moved to hold him securely in her embrace. "Mum, if that psychotic bitch hurts her, it'd be all my fault. I'm meant to protect her."

Anna couldn't even be horrified by Beck's language. She was seized with terror. Beck had never uttered anything like that in his life, and Anna knew the severity of this situation.

"I'll be back," Anna tells Beck, making up her mind immediately.

She dashed upstairs, grabbing the largest suitcase she could find before rushing back down to Beck.

"Give me Jade's address," Anna demanded. Beck looked shaken, but quickly provided the information Anna needed. Before Beck could ask any further questions, Anna was out the door and in her car.

What should have been a twenty-minute drive only took ten as Anna pulled up in front of a run-down building Jade sadly called 'home'. The lawn was unkempt, and the windows cracked, but Anna ignored all this as she banged on the front door.

It didn't take long for the door to fling open, only to reveal an enraged woman with dishevelled chestnut brown hair and a vicious scowl that made her look much older than she surely was.

The woman reeked of cigars and alcohol. In her small nightdress, Anna noted how unhealthily skinny the woman was. It looked as if she hadn't been outdoors for a very long time as her complexion was grey and haggard, and her arms had scabs and bruises that Anna cringed to think what were caused by.

"Where is Jade?" Anna demanded to know.

"What?" The lady spat, looking in slight confusion but mainly irritation at Anna.

"Jade, your daughter. I need to speak with her." Anna insisted.

The dishevelled woman sneered at Anna. "The girl's in bed." She snarled. "Get off my property."

Anna shook her head defiantly.

"I'll call the police if you don't let me see her."

Anna was bluffing (or so she told herself), but she was getting desperate now, flashes of the multiple bruises and cuts on Jade's back were shooting through her mind.

"Fine. You tell that little brat to get out of my house if she's going to be inviting her snooping friends over at all times of the night." She finally relented, stepping aside for Anna to rush in.

Anna dashed up the stairs, ignoring the empty vodka bottles and syringes littering the coffee table she passed as she headed for the door at the end of the hallway, hoping she was at the right room.

She pushed open the door without giving any notice, relieved by the sight she found. Jade was wide awake, seated on top of her quilt, her knees tucked tightly under her chin.

Jade's head whipped around at the sound of her door slamming open. She recoiled at the noise, but then gasped when she realised who was standing in her room.

"Anna? What are you doing here?" Jade gulped, still looking startled and slightly scared.

"Pack your bags," Anna announced, ignoring her question as she placed the suitcase she'd brought in the centre of the room.

"What, I don't-"

"Pack them now. We're leaving." Anna interrupted. She didn't want to give Jade's mum any more time to change her mind and start causing a scene.

Jade was still frozen in shock, so impatiently Anna moved to Jade's closest and started taking out her clothes. There wasn't much (Anna had a sneaking suspicion Beck still kept majority of Jade's personal belongings), but by the time Anna had moved to collect Jade's toiletries, makeup and a variety of other various items that seemed to be of some importance, she gestured for Jade to stand up.

"Is that everything?"

Jade still looked shaken, but slowly moved to gather a few folders from her desk drawer.

"I don't understand." Jade tried again, but Anna took Jade's hand firmly in hers and led her downstairs, leading her out of the house and to the safety of Anna's own home.

Beck was still slumped at the kitchen counter when the pair arrived. His breath hitched in his throat when he spotted Jade who was slightly cowering behind his mum.

"Jade." He gaped, leaping out of the seat and dashing towards her, he halted by one stern look from his mother.

"Jade will be staying in the spare bedroom," Anna told Beck swiftly. "I want you to gather her belongings and give them to me, okay?" She instructed kindly yet firmly.

"Jade, I-"

"Beck, not now." Anna reprimanded.

She could tell Jade was already overwhelmed by the whirl of events that had just taken place. Beck looked like he might protest, but after shooting Jade one pining look, eventually moved outside to start gathering her possessions.

Meanwhile, Anna led Jade up to Beck's old room, only stopping to collect a towel from the closet.

"Are you hurt?" Anna questioned quietly when they entered the room. Jade stood awkwardly, unconsciously rubbing her neck as she looked around.

Anna patiently repeated the question, waiting for Jade to look up at her.

"No, I'm fine," Jade promised.

"Okay. Shower and come to bed. I'm just going to change the sheets for you."

Jade did as she was told, and twenty minutes later returned to the bedroom in one of Beck's old school hoodies and a pair of trackie pants.

Anna was hoping the shower might've relaxed the disgruntled girl, but it was clear Jade was more nervous than ever before. She hesitantly shuffled to the bed and looked at the mattress fearfully.

"You're safe," Anna assured.

Nodding gradually, Jade moved to sit down. She immediately wrapped her arms around herself protectively and appeared to be rapidly blinking back tears, the events of the night all crashing down at once.

Anna comfortingly moved to sit next to Jade, carefully raising a hand to stroke her hair, silently lamenting as Jade tensed at this action.

"You know I would never hurt you?" Anna whispered, continuing to run her hands through Jade's soft locks.

Jade shook her head; Her eyelashes were already wet with tears. Finally, she shifted her body to gaze into Anna's eyes. "What's wrong with me? Why can't anyone love me?" She whimpered, her voice broken. "Why does she hate me so much?" Jade begged to know, tears beginning to trickle down her cheeks at a now alarmingly fast rate. "What did I do wrong? Why does she like to hurt me? She keeps telling me I'm bad, that I deserve it." Jade cried, hysteria now overwhelming her tone as she clutched at Anna desperately, "I don't understand. I don't want to be bad."

"Hush, my darling. You're not bad. You're wonderful.

"No, no, I'm horrible. That's why Beck left."

"My son loves you very much, Jade," Anna reassured. She didn't know if Beck had romantic feelings for Jade (though she highly doubted he didn't), but she knew her son still loved and cared for Jade dearly, to the point where he was clearly losing sleep worrying about her safety.

Jade shook her head, too hysterical to form words. Call it maternal instinct, but Anna knew Jade just needed to be held. Even though the goth generally shunned human contact, Jade willingly allowed herself to be pulled onto Anna's lap. Anna gently rocked Jade in her cradled embrace, pressing the occasional kiss to her forehead until Jade's tears subsided and she fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

After the initial breakdown on her first night, things appeared to improve for Jade West.

She certainly seemed happier, though Anna could tell that Jade was still desperately attempting to avoid her son. This was an increasingly difficult task as Beck was determined to speak with Jade and was coming into the main house more and more to seek her out.

Anna never attempted to deter him. She knew Beck was still very much in love with Jade, and it was clear that she loved him just as much. Anna was secretly rooting for them to sort out their issues and get back together soon.

John had wanted nothing to do with this conversation when Anna brought it up one night. He was already slightly confounded by Jade's very abrupt (and unannounced) presence in his house, but wisely he had not complained and simply gotten on with his life without an issue.

Still, Jade was quite stubborn, and regardless of her feelings, she clearly would not act on them or let Beck get close enough to win her over. Anna should have guessed however that Beck had a plan. He was not one to go down without a fight, so really it shouldn't have been so unexpected when late one Saturday afternoon Anna found him bustling around her kitchen looking helplessly lost and slightly irritated.

"Why would anyone find enjoyment in baking?" Beck snapped when Anna raised her eyebrows at him in question. Anna chuckled when Beck ran his hand through his hair in annoyance, effectively spreading flour into his usually meticulous hair.

"And why, may I ask, are you baking?"

"I need to talk to Jade. I figured she'd be more willing to hear me out if I came bearing gifts. I should've just bought her a pair of scissors." Beck scowled.

Anna tittered lightly, gently nudging Beck aside with her hip. "Let's see if we can salvage this." She suggested. Still glowering, Beck agreed, and together they worked until Beck proudly stood in front of a vanilla cake.

He carefully cut a piece, his brows narrowed in deep concentration. Anna bit back a smile as she watched how careful Beck was trying to be. When he had the piece on a plate, he hurriedly rushed up the stairs to his old room, so consumed with his mission that he even forgot to thank his mum for her help. Anna didn't really mind. She couldn't help herself though and silently crept up the stairs to peek through the doorframe and watch the interaction take place.

Beck's cake had clearly worked, for he was in Jade's room and so far there had been no screaming.

"Hey." Beck greeted, shuffling his feet.

"What do you want?"

"I wanted to give you this." Beck almost childishly shoved the cake in front of Jade's face, startling the poor girl before Jade's expression turned dour. "I made it." Beck declared haughtily.

Jade looked at him dubiously. "Am I going to get food poisoning from this?" she asked.

"Nuh, you're good. I think." Clarifying, he added, "Mum helped."

"In that case," Jade teased, taking the cake and having a bite. She smiled approvingly and Beck breathed a sigh of relief, finally feeling safe enough to sit beside her on the bed.

"I'm glad you're here," Beck told her when Jade never made any comment asking him to leave.

"Your mum is remarkably formidable. I don't think I have any actual choice in the matter."

"She is. So are you." Beck announced, a dopey smile appearing on his face. Then a look of great concern swept over him, "Oh damn, is that weird?"

Jade let out a soft chuckle. "No. What's weird is that I'm staying at your place. You're probably really uncomfortable."

"No." Beck declared. "I'm relieved. I just wish you'd talk to me more."

Jade looked at Beck sceptically, "I'm your ex-girlfriend. Why on Earth would you want to talk with me?"

Anna couldn't see all of Beck's face from her hiding place, but judging by the slow shake of his head he was letting Jade know she was crazy.

"Jade, after all these years you still seriously don't understand how much you mean to me?" Beck sighed. He shuffled to sit closer to Jade on the bed, resting his knees against hers. "In case you still haven't worked it out, you're really important to me, and I'm trying to be your friend."

"Why?"

"You're friends with my mum," Beck replied, making a face that caused Jade to laugh.

"That's true." Jade agreed. "I guess we can try."

Anna smirked to herself as Jade rested her head against Beck's shoulder. She could just make out Beck's hand going to fiddle with a strand of her hair. If that was how they acted as just "friends," Anna doubted they'd make it to the end of the week before they were all over each other.

* * *

Surprisingly enough though, Anna doesn't witness any other interactions between Beck and Jade over the next few weeks, but she suspected there was a shift in their relationship status. Less tension filled the air of the house and a few times she'd catch Beck's RV light turn off late at night just as Jade stepped into the house. Anna chose not to comment, instead preferring to enjoy her time spent with Jade. Jade would occasionally play the piano for Anna and her husband, other times she'd simply sit next to Anna on the couch while they both read a book. One time Anna had even got Jade to help with her hair before she went out for the evening.

Anna found herself cherishing Jade more and more. Jade was significantly nicer when she felt safe around someone. She was more light-hearted and less cynical. Though Anna sometimes still caught Jade staring wistfully out the kitchen window towards Beck's RV, she knew Jade was becoming happier with each passing day. Indeed, the girl's broken heart was surely on the road to recovery, sped up with the assistance of some motherly love that Jade had never experienced before.

The last crack in her heart was finally mended the evening of the school's Full Moon Jam. Anna had overheard Jade practising for weeks upstairs in her room, and the tingles that would shoot up Anna's spine as she listened to Jade's voice was enough indication that the night was going to be a special one. Sure enough, at close to 3am when Anna made her way downstairs for a glass of water, the sound of two tittering voices could be heard from the kitchen.

Anna peaked her head around the door, only to find Beck and Jade both giggling madly. Beck was pouring some whipped cream directly into Jade's mouth with one hand; his other was wrapped around Jade's waist. Anna bit back her own grin as Beck bopped a dab of cream onto her nose, causing Jade to squeal. Before Jade could start berating him, Beck caught her lips in a swift kiss and Jade's hands moved to wrap around Beck's neck.

Anna silently crept back up the stairs, leaving the loved-up couple to their own enjoyment. She tried not to feel mournful as she glanced at the room where Jade had been staying for the last month. She was confident that Jade would be back in Beck's RV by the morning, but smiled as Jade's exasperated voice carried up the hallway playfully scolding, "BECK, YOU MORON, YOU BURNT MY PANCAKE."

Yes, her son certainly had a knack for fixing things.

* * *

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Virtual hug to anyone who reviews.

Let me know if you want me to continue with this, and please, feel free to offer any suggestions. :)


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